Ernie Clement's impact on this Toronto Blue Jays team is getting recognized once more.
For the second straight season, Clement has won the club's Heart and Hustle Award, the team announced Friday.
It comes during a genuine career year at the plate. Clement is hitting a career-high .287 with a .415 slugging percentage, adding nine home runs and 38 RBIs on his way to his first All-Star appearance.
The Rochester, N.Y., native has earned this recognition through more than just numbers, though, known for running out every play on the bases, pushing through injuries, and making extra effort on defense.
His most recent example came Thursday against the Cubs, leaping to snag a soft liner to center that otherwise would have been a walk-off base hit.
At 30 years old, Clement's path here has been anything but conventional. He spent six years in the minors, followed by three more bouncing between affiliated ball and the majors, before finally getting his first full-time opportunity with Toronto in 2024 at age 28.
Why his journey makes this award mean even more
Toronto acquired Clement after Oakland, then the last-place team in the American League, released him, signing him to a minor league deal ahead of 2023.
He didn't break through immediately, spending most of that year at Triple-A Buffalo, though he posted a .348/.401/.544 line with 11 homers and 58 RBIs there, along with a .380 average and .885 OPS in his brief big league look.
It was 2025 that truly defined him, playing through a fractured finger and stitches in his shin while helping Toronto reach the World Series with an MLB-record 30 postseason hits.
His 22 defensive runs saved that year tied for the MLB lead with Steven Kwan, earning him Gold Glove finalist honors at both third base and as a utility player, though he came up short both times.
It's a bit like watching someone finally get their name called after years of quietly doing the work nobody outside the organization noticed.
Clement has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining and isn't due for free agency until 2029, meaning Blue Jays fans get to keep watching this story continue for a while yet.
Does Ernie Clement's journey to this point make him one of your favorite Blue Jays stories?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Blue Jays DFA outfielder and call up replacement
